Month: September 2024

Today’s quick review: Batman: Year One. Eighteen years after the murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne (Ben McKenzie) returns to Gotham looking to make a difference. Disgusted with the corruption in the city, he dons a costume and becomes Batman. Meanwhile, Lt. Jim Gordon (Bryan Cranston) transfers to Gotham and faces the pressure of being one of the only honest officers in the city’s corrupt police force.

Batman: Year One is an animated superhero crime movie that chronicles Bruce Wayne’s first year as a vigilante. Adapted from the Frank Miller comics, Year One sees Bruce grow from a lucky amateur to a force to be reckoned with in Gotham’s underworld. Year One takes a more grounded approach than other Batman movies, toning down the flashier aspects of Batman’s character while leaving the core of it intact.

Batman: Year One benefits from a believable world and impressive animation quality. The story escalates naturally as Batman’s arrival sends ripples through Gotham. The corruption in Gotham’s police force complements Batman’s arc well, showing just how bad Gotham can get and establishing why Batman works outside the law. Gordon makes for a great perspective character, demonstrating resolve, decisiveness, and some very human flaws.

The main catch is that Year One is not as flashy as other superhero stories. There are no real supervillains, Bruce sustains serious injuries, and the bulk of the action involves either gangs of criminals or the police. This, combined with the heavy emphasis on Gordon’s perspective, gives the movie the flavor of a crime drama. Fans who are used to raw spectacle and large-scale drama may find Year One sedate by comparison.

Batman: Year One is a well-crafted movie that helps solidify the key parts of Batman’s origin story and his world. Not everyone will enjoy what it is going for, particularly its lack of a singular villain, its winding plot, and some of the frailties it gives its characters. But for those willing to take the movie on its own terms, Batman: Year One is a satisfying watch that captures some of the best aspects of the character.

For a very similar take on Batman’s origins, check out Batman Begins. For a sprawling mystery with a similar story structure, try Batman: The Long Halloween. For a live-action crime drama about police corruption, try Street Kings or Training Day.

[7.4 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1672723/). I give it a 7.0 for a cleanly told story that gets at the heart of its characters.

Today’s quick review: Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants. Enraged by the drilling at his Antarctic hideaway, Mr. Freeze (Oded Fehr) teams up with the Penguin (Dana Snyder) and four Arkham inmates to engineer giant monsters that will freeze Gotham. Batman (Roger Craig Smith) joins forces with the new Robin (Lucien Dodge), Nightwing (Will Friedle), Green Arrow (Chris Diamantopoulos), and the Flash (Charlie Schlatter) to fight back.

Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants is a family animated superhero movie, the third and final in the Batman Unlimited series. Mechs vs. Mutants scales up the action by pitting Batman and his allies against giant-sized foes. The movie features a serviceable plot, kid-friendly action, and a giant monster-themed niche that’s nearly unique in the Batman franchise. However, a shallow story and a contrived premise hold it back.

Mechs vs. Mutants is where the world of Batman Unlimited comes into its own. The cast overlaps with Animal Instincts, giving the series a nice sense of continuity. The character dynamics feel comfortable on both the hero and villain sides. And while the monster gimmick feels forced, the movie commits to it fully, making Mechs vs. Mutants more consistent than its predecessors and opening the door for some fun, destructive battles.

The shortcomings of Mechs vs. Monsters are similar to the other movies in the series. The movie takes a grab bag approach to its world, dropping the moody atmosphere of Gotham for a menagerie of colorful characters. The story is driven by the need to show off new vehicles, weapons, and character designs as much as anything. Finally, the script has very little going on besides the main conflict and some light banter.

Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants puts forth a more credible effort than its predecessors, but it will still struggle to capture the attention of older viewers. Anyone willing to relax, have fun, and let the movie take liberties with the rules of Batman’s universe will have a good time. But anyone looking for a fully developed plot or a hook that is more in line with typical Batman stories may want to steer clear.

For a Batman movie that toys with similar ideas, try Batman Ninja. For family superhero adventure with a similarly freewheeling attitude, try The Lego Batman Movie. For mechs versus giant monsters in a better-developed world, try Pacific Rim. For another Batman adventure with mechs, try Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.

[5.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5896146/). I give it a 6.5 for fun action coupled with a shallow story.

Today’s quick review: Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem. Batman (Roger Craig Smith) has his hands full when the Joker (Troy Baker) and a group of fearsome villains try to take over Gotham. Batman teams up with Cyborg (Khary Payton), Green Arrow (Chris Diamantopoulos), Nightwing (Will Friedle), and Red Robin (Yuri Lowenthal) to stop the Joker’s plan, only to hit a wall when the Joker unleashes a computer virus that disables their technology.

Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem is a family animated superhero movie. Like its predecessor Animal Instincts, Monster Mayhem features a futuristic version of Gotham, an emphasis on vehicles and technology, and a thematic cast of villains. The movie earns points with its light tone, fun banter, and freewheeling action. However, the kid-friendly nature of the movie and some unsatisfying choices undermine its strengths.

Monster Mayhem polishes some of the better aspects of Animal Instincts. The futuristic technology is less obtrusive and better calibrated to the strengths of the heroes. The lineup of villains—Silver Banshee (Kari Wuhrer), Solomon Grundy (Fred Tatasciore), Scarecrow (Brian T. Delaney), and Clayface (Dave B. Mitchell)—is a hit, providing fun interactions between them and unique challenges for the heroes. The setup is promising.

But Monster Mayhem has a harder time sticking the landing. The computer virus has little resemblance to the Joker’s usual schemes and no connection to the monster theme of the movie. The supporting villains are gradually sidelined in favor of computer hijinks, and by the end of the movie, the rules are completely arbitrary. The story jettisons cohesion in favor of spectacle and ends up in a very different place from where it started.

Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem is a fun pick for younger audiences, and it holds some charm for older ones as well. Seeing the characters interact is a joy, and the action is entertaining for what it is. But Monster Mayhem fails to tell a satisfying story, and so it ends up squandering the good will it builds up early on. Approach with caution.

For an animated Batman movie that goes off the rails in similar ways, try Batman Ninja. For a family adventure taking place in a virtual world, try Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over. For a more mature movie from DC featuring a cast of eccentric villains, try Suicide Squad: Assault on Arkham or Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay.

[5.7 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4729754/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for likable characters and decent action let down by poor plot work.

Today’s quick review: Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts. In a futuristic Gotham, Batman (Roger Craig Smith) teams up with Nightwing (Will Friedle), Red Robin (Yuri Lowenthal), Green Arrow (Chris Diamantopoulos), and the Flash (Charlie Schlatter) to investigate a series of high-profile robberies. After clashing with a group of animal-themed villains, the heroes uncover a plot by the Penguin (Dana Snyder) that puts the entire city in danger.

Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts is a family animated superhero movie set in a futuristic take on the DC Universe. Fitting the movie’s ties to a Batman toy line, Animal Instincts shows off new costumes, new gadgets, and a new trio of robotic animals controlled by the Penguin. The light sense of adventure, the expansive cast, and the grab bag of sci-fi elements all serve Animal Instincts well, but it remains a shallow watch.

Animal Instincts’ best feature is that it is proactive. Instead of playing coy with its world or its characters, the movie dives straight into the action, assembling a cast of roughly ten heroes and villains. The science fiction setting works well, putting a technological spin on the classic superheroes. And while the character designs are not fantastic, they are fresh enough to set the movie apart from other takes on Batman.

Animal Instincts has the expected limitations of a kids’ movie. The story is simple, a series of robberies culminating in a master plan by Penguin. There is next to no character drama or growth. The writing only stretches itself as far as quips by Flash and Red Robin; everything else is focused on the various elements of the Penguin’s plan.

Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts will not have much to offer older viewers, but it does manage to tell the story it sets out to. The combination of a new setting and an eager approach to using characters like Green Arrow and the Flash gives the movie a fresh quality that other incarnations of Batman tend to lack. However, the shallow approach to storytelling and world-building severely limits what the movie can do.

For another family-friendly superhero adventure from DC, try Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash. For a Marvel counterpart, try Iron Man & Captain America: Heroes United or Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United. For a television series featuring Batman in a similar future, try Batman Beyond.

[5.8 out of 10 on IMDB.](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4437640/) I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for plain but enjoyable family-friendly action.